Danny Dyer, best known for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, has been cast in a new Channel 4 drama about the 1980 Iranian embassy siege. The six-part series, titled The Siege, is based on Ben Macintyre's best-selling book and adapted by Will Smith, creator of Slow Horses and Veep.
The drama will follow the six-day stand-off after six armed Iranian terrorists stormed the London embassy, taking 26 people hostage. It will depict the police response and the eventual SAS raid that ended the siege. Ian Katz, Channel 4's chief content officer, described the series as a 'heart-stopping, emotional thriller' that reveals the motivations of the hostage-takers and the human reality inside the embassy.
Dyer joins a cast that includes David Morrissey (Sherwood), Motaz Malhees (200 Metres), and Alex Jennings (The Crown). The series is directed by Lewis Arnold (Time, Des) and executive produced by Patrick Spence (Mr Bates vs The Post Office).
Co-producer ARTE France's deputy head of drama, Alexandre Piel, praised the adaptation, calling it 'an intense, moving, and funny story all at once.' The series is expected to air on Channel 4.
